Holon (Israel) by its existence completely refutes the claim that nothing can be built on sand. The first mention of the settlement is found in the Old Testament period, and since then the city has been firmly on the ground, and since the beginning of the last century it has been developing rapidly.
Interesting fact! The name of the locality means “sand”. In the local language, sand is called hol, so the locals pronounce the name of their hometown softly-Holyon.
Description of the city of Holon
The city of Holon is located in the central part of the country, part of the Tel Aviv District. The industrial zone of the settlement is the second most reliable and largest in the country. In addition to industrial enterprises, cultural and educational programs are actively developing in the city, and the Agricultural Academy invites students. Holon is known as the children’s capital of the country, because there are many educational and entertainment organizations, institutions, and every year the largest carnival is held dedicated to the Purim holiday.
Holon Borders:
- west – borders Bat Yam;
- south – borders Rishon Lezion, but the 2 km long area between the two cities, which belongs to Holon, is not inhabited;
- north-Holon passes into the town of Azor;
- east – ends at highway 4.
The population is slightly more than 192.5 thousand people. It is the fourth largest settlement in Israel.
How the city came to be
Before the advent of Israel, a few Jews purchased a plot of land south of Jaffa, covered with sand. Five villages were founded on this territory, but by 1937 it was decided to merge. Then came the city of Holon. The charter of the local council was written in 1940, elections were held two years later, and only in 1950 Holon was granted the status of a city.
The first residents of the settlement worked in Tel Aviv, but they built housing here, since not everyone could pay for it in one of the largest settlements in Israel. As early as 1941, Holon had five new neighborhoods. In 1948, during the War of Independence, the Arab army blocked communication between Holon and Tel Aviv. At the same time, all communications were destroyed. Today it is a successful and prosperous city with a large number of parks, squares, shopping centers, and sports complexes. More than 45 thousand residents are involved in the industrial sector.
Useful to know! Holon is not considered a resort town, but this does not stop many tourists at all, and local residents are happy to come here on excursions. The municipality supports an extensive cultural program, so that new places for recreation and development of children regularly appear in the city.
Attractions and entertainment
The authorities take care of recreation and cultural leisure of residents and guests of the city. Holon has a Beit Yad Lebanim theater, regularly hosts concerts, festivals, and several museums and art galleries. The city is very green – the authorities are trying to green every available inch, plant trees and flowers.
Photo: Holon City in Israel
Children’s Museum
An interactive museum where visitors experience amazing adventures through computers, music, and television screens. It is difficult to find a museum in the world where children could get such strong emotions. The main feature of the attraction is that you can touch and taste everything here. Guides accompany groups of children on this amazing journey through time.
The museum offers several excursion programs. The most popular one is “Dialogue in the Dark”. Children are invited to immerse themselves in the world of a blind person – they close their eyes and try to recognize sounds, smells and tastes. It is noteworthy that the tour is conducted by a blind person, who guides a group of children through completely dark rooms. In every room, people’s sense of smell, hearing, and touch become more acute. Finally, guests are taken to the bar, where you can buy something and pay in the dark.
Useful to know! Listen carefully to the guide – he will tell you where the steps, corners, and pits are located. Each tour ends with a conversation with the guide.
Another equally fascinating tour is the world in silence, which imitates the life of a deaf person. The program allows you to develop nonverbal ways of communication.
In addition, the museum hosts thematic seminars on the history of comics, journalism, and revealing the secrets of magic tricks.
Practical information:
- admission fee: adult-NIS 62, free admission for children under 9 years of age;
- opening hours: Sunday to Tuesday and Thursday from 9-00 to 11-30, Wednesday-17-00, Saturday-9-30, 12-00 and 17-30;
- Address: Mifrats Shlomo Street, near Yamit 2000 Park;
- the duration of the tour is about 2 hours.
Yamit 2000
The second largest and largest water park in Israel. It welcomes thousands of guests every day and offers a wide range of attractions and swimming pools. There is also a spa center. The water park is located in the center of Holon and covers an area of 60 thousand square meters.
Do you want to experience the adrenaline rush? Choose water attractions:
- “Kamikaze”;
- “Cosmic Maelstrom”;
- “Banana jump”;
- Amazon;
- “Rainbow”.
Safe rides are installed in the pools for children, and the kids are constantly monitored by rescuers.
The SPA center is a place where you will feel reborn after a whole range of revitalizing and rejuvenating treatments. It offers guests a developed infrastructure-showers, lockers, tables, chairs and sofas, cafes.
Practical information:
- official website: yamit2000.co.il;
- opening hours: from Sunday to Thursday-from 8-00 to 23-00, Friday and Saturday – from 08-00 to 18-00;
- Address: 66 Mifrats Shlomo Street;
- ticket price-NIS 114, children over 3 years old pay for a full ticket;
- The SPA area is open from May to September, admission is NIS 15;
- Yandex. Checkout sells cards for 10 sessions, the price is$191;
- there is a parking lot in front of the entrance to the water park;
- Dan buses run regularly from Tel Aviv to the aquapark.
Design Museum
The museum has been hosting guests since 2010. During its existence, the attraction has collected a huge number of positive reviews, and has also been awarded international awards.
Interesting fact! Design is one of the priority export areas in Israel, so the famous architect Ron Arad was invited to create the project.
The building turned out to be symbolic and recognizable-it is wrapped with five ribbons that symbolize flowers that grow in the desert. Visually, the “ribbons” resemble a Mobius strip, as well as layers of geological rocks in the desert. The exhibition is located in two galleries. The collection is presented in four thematic areas:
- historical project;
- modern project;
- expositions created by individual order of the museum;
- the best exam papers of students studying at design academies in Israel.
The museum regularly hosts exhibitions where you can see original design works in various industries and directions.
Interesting fact! Every year the museum is visited by more than 80 thousand tourists.
Practical information:
- official website: www.dmh.org.il;
- opening hours: Monday and Wednesday – from 10-00 to 16-00, Tuesday-from 10-00 to 20-00, Thursday – from 10-00 to 18-00, Friday – from 10-00 to 14-00, Sunday-closed;
- ticket price: adult-NIS 35, schoolchildren-NIS 30, children from 5 to 10 years – NIS 20;
- Address: 8 Pinhas Eilon Street;
- the museum has its own parking lot, entrance from OrnaPorat Street.
Tel Giborim Park or “Hill of Heroes”
Beautiful, quiet park, undoubtedly worthy of attention. Here you can retire, read, think, take a walk among the colorful flowerbeds and lawns. For those who like active recreation, there are sports grounds, paths for skating and roller skating. There are picnic areas with gazebos for cooking kebabs and barbecues. On the territory of the park there is a theater and an amphitheater, where performances and concerts are regularly held.
The landscape and decoration complement each other in a harmonious way-hills, waterfalls, palm trees are planted, sculptures and gazebos are installed. The park is clean and well-groomed, you will always find a corner where no one will disturb you.
Useful to know! People often come here to enjoy the sunset, and set aside at least two hours to visit the park.
Holon Holidays
Despite the fact that the city of Holon in Israel does not have the status of a resort, it is not difficult to find a place to stay.
- The average cost of housing per day will be about NIS 570;
- prices in hostels – from NIS 105,
- in 2-star hotels – NIS 400,
- in three – star hotels-NIS 430,
- and in luxury hotels, you will have to pay from NIS 630 per night for accommodation.
Holon food is also available for every taste and budget. The most budget – friendly option is lunch at a fast food restaurant, which will cost approximately NIS 45 for two people. If you plan to eat in an inexpensive restaurant, prepare to pay from NIS 50 per person, a check in a medium-priced restaurant (lunch for two) – NIS 175.
Climate, when it’s best to go
Holon, like the central part of Israel, is dominated by the Mediterranean climate, which ensures a uniform warming of the air throughout the year. The hottest months are undoubtedly summer-up to +32°C. However, hot days also occur in the second half of spring. The heat passes to September, but in October and November the heat is quite comfortable.
Winter, which lasts from December to March, is characterized by warm weather – on average, the air temperature is only 10 degrees lower than in summer. The coldest month is March, the daytime temperature is +17°C, and in December, at +20°C, you can even swim. By the way, the water temperature varies from +18°C in winter to +28°C in summer.
Useful to know! The winter period is characterized by rainy weather, and the summer in Holon is dry.
How to get from Ben Gurion Airport and from Tel Aviv
The easiest, fastest and most comfortable way to get from the airport to Holon is by taxi. The distance is only 11 km, the cost of the trip is from NIS 31 to NIS 39. An airport shuttle service to your hotel in Holon can also be arranged.
Useful to know! Hiking enthusiasts can walk from Tel Aviv to Holon. The journey will take about 1.5 hours. You will have to walk a little more than 9 km.
By bus from Tel Aviv
Holon is located near Tel Aviv, so there is a good transport connection between the two localities. Buses depart from the bus station, as well as the central railway station. The distance of 12 km is covered by transport in 15-18 minutes, the fare is NIS 5 ILS. The frequency of flights is 40 minutes.
By train
Many tourists prefer to travel by train to enjoy the picturesque views from the windows of the car. You can get to Holon by trains that follow the Rishole Tserion-Holon-Tel Aviv-Herzliya branch. The fare is from 6 ILS to 15 ILS, the frequency of flights is from 40 to 90 minutes.
By car
A separate topic is car rental. The service is in demand, so it is very easy to find a rental point, it is available at the airport. Rent – from$ 35 to $ 125. You will have to pay about$15 for insurance.
Useful to know! You can rent a car in one locality and rent it out in another. The service is paid – $ 10.
As you can see, Holon (Israel) is an interesting and noteworthy city. It will be interesting for adults and children, young tourists and older people.
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